Penn
takes on his latest challenging role in “The Gunman” as Jim
Terrier where he works as a humanitarian in an African village
providing people with potable water. In one ordinary
day, Jim finds himself riding on a wave of panic among his peers and
the rest of the village when three armed men storm through the
village demanding to see him. As he approaches, it becomes
clear that the men are out to kill him. Escaping the armed
men, Jim finds out that someone has put a price on his head. Jim
then travels to London to connect with an old comrade and close
friend, Stanley (Ray Winstone) who reluctantly agrees to help him
discover who hired the hit.

Actor
Ray Winstone, who plays Jim’s close friend, is much admired by Penn
and the producers. He brings a level of grittiness and
reality to the movie and was Sean’s first choice to play the role
of Stanley. His role is a broken, grizzly, paranoid man
living alone, pulled in by Jim to help him. “The warrior
bond and friendship between Jim and Stanley who have been part of a
brotherhood is also a driving force in the movie,” says producer
Andrew Rona.

Winstone
himself sums up Sean Penn’s career simply, “He’s a clever
boy. I’ve never seen him in a bad film, and I can’t
remember seeing him bad in any film, so that’s a good place to
start from. I’m lucky enough to have worked with some
great actors over the years, but I’m still excited to work with
Sean. It keeps you on the ball,” Winstone says of Penn.

He
further comments on Penn’s preparation for the role, “Sean is in
fantastic shape. Sean is only a few years younger than me,
but where he has an eight-pack , I’ve got a party pack!,” Winston
laughingly shares.

And
of the film, Winstone shares that “I like a good thriller. I
don’t need to watch a comedy, I can make myself laugh. I
want something to make me think, a bit of action, and I want to see
performances. Here, we’ve got it all – script and
performances.”

As
for is role, Penn notes that “Jim is a guy who has a questionable
past. You don’t really know where he comes from. You
know that he’s a former military guy. He’s had a
special training and he’s operated in some very dark places. In
the film, he is trying to make a better life after that and he’s
trying to redeem himself. People are trying to kill him
and he’s called into action. He has to use the skills
that he has trained in to survive and prove his innocence.”

“The
Gunman” shoots into theatres this March 18 from OctoArts
Films International.